Your new post is loading...
With all the “be your best self now!” hullabaloo, we can get overwhelmed with what we think we should be doing. We can drive ourselves crazy thinking about all the things we could do to make ourselves smarter, stronger, better. Not long ago, I actually found myself surrounded by whiteboards sketching out all of my self-improvement plans for the year, kanban board style. And while goals and growth plans are great, sometimes the best ideas for change come from an awareness outside of ourselves. I know, it sounds weird to hear a leadership coach telling you to look for something outside of yourself. I’m all about tuning into that courageous and all-knowing voice who can tout your fabulousness–it’s good stuff. But let’s get real: Sometimes the only way to get perspective about what needs to change comes from an outside perspective. Yes, believe it or not, there is often a gap between who we desire and think we are presenting to the world, and the way others see us. Turns out that when you ask the people around you–the ones who see you in action every day and are impacted by the choices you make–where you can grow, their ideas might be a little different than your own.
Via The Learning Factor
You’ve probably been taught that giving compliments build relationships. In the self-help classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie stressed the importance of “giving sincere and honest appreciation” to others in life and work. He’s not wrong, but the thing is that showing real appreciation is difficult to do. How many times has someone given you a “compliment” and you just know they’re trying to get something from you? Compliments can easily veer into flattery and feel insincere, leaving the recipient wondering about the giver’s hidden agenda. Here’s what it takes to avoid all that–it’s easier than you think.
Via The Learning Factor
Automation isn’t a simple struggle between people and technology, with the two sides competing for jobs. The more we rely on robots, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning, the clearer it’s become just how much we need social scientists and humanities experts–not the reverse. These four skills in particular are all unique to us humans, and will arguably rise in value in the coming years, as more and more companies realize they need the best of both worlds to unleash the potential from both humans and machines. AI and machine learning are extremely useful for solving straightforward, predictable problems and finding patterns no human would ever be able to spot in big data pools. But they’re less helpful in sussing out issues where it’s not a given what the problem actually consists of. Say a patient gradually stops taking her medication, and an algorithm picks up on that fall-off early on. That’s great, but you still need a human being to ask why and contextualize the reasons–with a full understanding of what it means to live with chronic illness. For instance, is the patient simply forgetting to take her medication, or actively choosing not to? Is there an alternative remedy that suits the patient’s priorities and lifestyle?
Via The Learning Factor
What do you really need to get ahead at work? I get asked this all the time. The answer varies depending on the person, their goals, and my mood, but there’s one answer I’ll never give: “Work hard.” That’s not an oversight or a misstep. It’s very intentional. Whenever I hear some public speaker or Silicon Valley personality talk about how it just takes hard work to really succeed, I can’t help but roll my eyes a little. I’m sick of hearing people talk about working hard, keeping busy, putting their head down, etc. We’ve become too preoccupied with “the grind,” and it’s actually bringing us down.
Via The Learning Factor
Advice on how to improve one’s self is everywhere. It accounts for about 2.5% of all book sales in the United States. Add in speeches, training programs, TV programs, online-products, coaches, yoga, and the like, self-help is a $10 billion industry per year, and that’s just in the U.S. However, research shows that much of the advice extolled may be misleading or even wrong. Several myths about performance persist, despite research and practices that show they are half-truths at best. That might explain why the most likely purchasers of self-improvement books have bought another within the previous 18 months. The first myth-riddled book didn’t work, so they bought another, and maybe another soon after. A recent report in the Journal of Management noted that of nearly 25,000 academic articles on performance, only a fraction include what psychologists call within person variance, which describes ranges, such as that between individuals’ top, average and worst performances. Advice too often mistakenly assumes performance can be compared across people, using the same gauge. That’s absurd. Our observation of hundreds of performance seekers largely confirms the report and has led to delineating a series of myths that hold people back when trying to improve. These assertions are based on a diverse set of fields, including psychology, sports, arts, and leadership. We hope that by dispelling these myths, explaining the reality and offering some sound advice instead, we can help move people toward more effective personal development.
Via The Learning Factor
2017 was an exciting year for talent acquisition. We prepared for Generation Z. Leaders realized how critical it is to recruit female talent. Organizations focused on offering attractive benefits that supported employee development and even infertility. With all that progress, it'd be a shame to take two steps back in 2018. Dive into the new trends before it's too late. This is what you need to concentrate on when hiring in 2018: 1. Focus on adaptability.If we learned anything in 2017, it's that corporate stability is elusive. One week your company is leading the industry, the next the CEO is facing a series of scandals. If your workforce can't thrive in changing conditions, they won't achieve long-term success. Andreas Pettersson is the chief product officer of the video cloud security company Arcus. The company is currently in the middle of a big hiring push, and they're approaching talent acquisition in a new way. Pettersson pointed out that in the past, organizations looked for employees who adhered to a rigid plan. That is no longer the case. "For today's most agile teams, a set plan is no longer a feasible or successful strategy for product development," he said. "In 2018, rather than technical skills defining the gold standard recruit, ideal candidates will fit seamlessly into the team, thrive in an empowered environment, and focus on solving the problem at hand." This will be true for all industries, not just tech. Assemble a team that can keep up with the changing business environment. Look for candidates who have a wide range of experiences. Check out LinkedIn and reach out to candidates who have successfully transitioned from one industry to another. This is one sign that they are adaptable. 2. Know your ABCs: AI, blockchain, and chatbots.We've been talking about artificial intelligence for years. But we're just starting to see useful applications when it comes to hiring. Newer software saves hiring managers countless hours by pre-screening candidates. Brian Christman is the vice president of people at the digital freight marketplace Transfix. He also has over a decade of experience helping companies like Etsy and SiriusXM scale. "By leveraging big data and machine learning, recruiters are able to cast wider nets," said Christman. "They become more efficient in building high-quality pipelines, and ultimately can better predict the skills and attributes of prospective candidates that will have the highest probability of success." Find an AI tool that will grow with your company. For example, Mosaictrack uses technology similar to IB's Watson to read through resumes like a human. Over time, it becomes more attuned to the skills and cultural factors you need. This leaves hiring managers more time to develop relationships with top talent. Blockchain technology is another tool that will be gaining momentum this year. It was developed for exchanging bitcoin, but now there are wider applications. Blockchain allows for a faster interaction with information by two or more parties. Everyone has the most up-to-date information, no matter how many people are using it. Imagine how that could simplify team hiring. Instead of scrolling through an endless chain of messages to see what each person thought of a candidate, use blockchain technology. This will assure that each individual can easily add their own opinions and see those of everyone else. Finally, chatbots are beginning to make a big impact. The technology saves hiring managers from wasting time on candidates who are a bad fit. Put a chatbot on your company career page. Then potential candidates can interact with it and ask questions. Bringing things full circle, the chatbot can then deliver that communication to AI software. If there are signs that this is a strong candidate, you can make direct contact with them. 3. Make recruitment and marketing BFFs.Google for Jobs, which debuted in 2017, will impact how organizations craft job listings in the coming year. "Now recruiters have to think about how they are marketing their openings, which keywords you use, the schema behind how you set it up and ultimately what specific personas they want to attract," said Teri Calderon, executive vice president of human resources at technician staffing firm Field Nation. Chances are your hiring team has no idea how to optimize a job posting so it will appear on the first page of Google. Offer training that explains to them why this is important. Provide a list of researched keywords that your ideal candidates will be searching for. This will ensure that the best talent applies with your company first.
Via The Learning Factor
Team brainstorming seems like a good idea--at least, on paper. What usually happens is this: the company is experiencing a tough problem that no single person seems able to solve, so someone decides that more minds means more processing power, and before you know it you're all gathered in the conference room. One or two people churn out bad idea after bad idea, while everyone else stares at the wall or multitasks. There are no major breakthroughs and most of you are irritated at the waste of time. Sound familiar? Why is this such a problem?
Via The Learning Factor
Some days you get to work early, work nonstop, and head home without being able to figure out what you actually accomplished. Everything rushes past you in a blur of emails, meetings, and errands, and your to-do list remains more or less untouched. You’re always going to have a few workdays like this no matter what you do. But if they start happening regularly, you may have a problem on your hands. If that’s the case, then it’s time to start looking for systematic failures, not just one-off fumbles. And ironically enough, the best place to look may be at your to-do list itself. What better record do you have of the tasks that you’re consistently failing to achieve? These are a few common to-do list items that might be getting in the way of your more important goals. If you can cut them out–even just for a day or two–you may be able to regain your footing.
Via The Learning Factor
Find it hard to advocate for yourself? You’re not alone. The personality trait that psychologists call “agreeableness” describes how motivated you are to get along with other people. If you’re highly agreeable, that motivation can sometimes prevent you from sticking up for your own interests. Anytime you ask for something at work, you run the risk that you’ll be told “no”–and possibly aggravate the person you’re asking. As a result, agreeable people may be put off from asking in the first place. This can be a problem, because research suggests that agreeable people tend to make less money than disagreeable people (even accounting for the fact that disagreeable people lose their jobs more often). And in leadership roles, agreeable people may not be as good at getting their teams all the resources they need. So what can you do to be more assertive even when it just isn’t in your personality to do so? Here are a few tips.
Via The Learning Factor
Kids are back in school. Pumpkin spice lattes are back in Starbucks. It’s official: Summer is over and the year is winding down. But before it does, there might be a goal or two you committed to back in January that you’d still really love to make good on. Don’t worry–falling short on your New Year’s resolutions is totally normal. And even if you missed your chance to get back in the saddle at the six-month mark, there might still be some things you can do to make headway between now and the holidays. One tactic that might help? Cutting back. Sometimes all you need to jump-start your progress is to ditch some of your routines, bad habits, and maybe even some of your other goals so you can redirect your energy where it counts. For inspiration, here’s what five Fast Company contributors–in their own ways, all experts on productivity and self-management–are kicking to the curb in order to end the year on a high note.
Via The Learning Factor
When we’re inspired, our work hums. We have a sense of purpose, buoyed by the feeling that our talents are being put to good use. We’re doing what we should be doing. And then, just like that, inspiration evaporates. Perhaps a negative comment from your boss deflated you or you’re not excited about a particular assignment. Inspiration can be frustratingly fleeting and difficult to recover when lost. Even if you’re lucky enough to have a job you love, it’s common to go through lengthy periods where you need to dig deep to feel excited about your work.
Via The Learning Factor
Every office runs into some form of distraction that plagues the workplace. Distractions are incredibly common and can damage productivity, focus and employee morale. In fact, a 2015 survey from Oxford Economics found that employee satisfaction and productivity are affected quite negatively by distractions in the workplace specifically caused by cubicle setups. However, cubicle farms aren’t the only reasons distractions occur. Here are some of the most common distractions plaguing the workplace and how employers can easily overcome them.
Via The Learning Factor
|
Rescooped by
Susan Myburgh
from Leadership Lite
September 8, 2017 7:33 PM
|
It’s your big opportunity. You’ve been invited to join your boss for a major meeting–with upper management, or maybe with an important client. You’re the expert this time around, the eyes-and-ears-on-the-ground who’s here to share some insights from the front lines. Do that well, and you know your boss will trust you with bigger responsibilities in the near future. But you’re nervous–understandably–and you know you can’t blow your first impression with all these new and influential people. Here’s what you can do to nail it within those first 90 seconds after walking into the meeting room.
Via The Learning Factor, Kevin Watson
|
Traditional goal setting focuses on the beginning and the end—start strong and keep your eye on the prize. Unfortunately, that process doesn’t work for every kind of goal, says Scott Young, author of How to Change a Habit. “A lot has been taught around the classic self-help style of Zig Ziglar or Tony Robbins where you have a clear goal, you visualize it, write it down, and focus on the starting point,” says Young, cofounder of the career development course Top Performer. “Some goals, though, aren’t clearly sequential.” The middle can and should be your starting point when you’re setting a goal where you’re unclear of the level you can achieve within a particular timeframe. This is especially the case with daunting, unfamiliar goals where you don’t yet have a strong sense of the big picture.
Via The Learning Factor
Maybe your favorite interview question is one of the most common interview questions. Maybe it's one of the most common behavioral interview questions. Or maybe you have a less conventional interview question you like to ask, like those asked by these company founders and CEOs. What is your favorite interview question? To find out, we asked the Inc. community on LinkedIn to provide their favorites, as well as their reasons why. Below are some of the responses; go here and here to see them all. 1. "What is the hardest thing you've ever done?" The answer can be personal or professional. What the candidate accomplished isn't as important as how -- and why. What were the hurdles? What were the roadblocks? Did the candidate seek help? Does the candidate credit the people who helped? The answer also can provide insight into how the candidate defines "hard," and how their perspective align with the challenges your business faces.
Via The Learning Factor
What do you really need to get ahead at work? I get asked this all the time. The answer varies depending on the person, their goals, and my mood, but there’s one answer I’ll never give: “Work hard.” That’s not an oversight or a misstep. It’s very intentional. Whenever I hear some public speaker or Silicon Valley personality talk about how it just takes hard work to really succeed, I can’t help but roll my eyes a little. I’m sick of hearing people talk about working hard, keeping busy, putting their head down, etc. We’ve become too preoccupied with “the grind,” and it’s actually bringing us down.
Via The Learning Factor
hen it comes to our daily schedule, most people fall into one of two camps: The over-scheduler: Their calendars look like a kindergartener’s finger painting. Meetings overlap meetings while reminders for events, breaks, tasks, and more meetings are going off like it’s New Year’s Eve. Their days are determined from the moment they wake up to their evening routine. The minimalist: Also known as “The Dreamer.” They’ve got one or two recurring events, but a whole lot of whitespace so they’re “free” (at least on paper) for long stretches of work. The problem is that both of these are terrible. For their own reasons. Being over-scheduled leaves us no time for ourselves. The more “in control” we are of our calendar, the less control we feel like we have over our lives. Not to mention we’re notoriously bad at knowing how long tasks take us to do. When your schedule is this jammed, even going 15 minutes over on your morning task will throw your whole day out of whack. And the minimalist? Well, they’re just living in la la land, aren’t they? They’ve offloaded their schedule to some other format–most likely a to-do list, scheduling app, or series of angry emails asking “Where is this?” A good daily schedule is a blueprint for a successful life. Knowing what we’re doing and when empowers us with a sense of purpose, meaning, and focus.
Via The Learning Factor
Every year for the past ten years, Glassdoor announces the top places to work all across North America and parts of Europe. The most unique part of this award? You can only win the award if your employees say so. Glassdoor's methodology for the award includes a collection of anonymous company reviews where employees share their honest opinion on pros and cons of working for the company, overall satisfaction, the CEO, and workplace attributes. They're also asked if they would recommend their employer to a friend. It's a juicy turn of the tables. Within the top 100 best places to work for, the industries that came out on top were tech, retail, healthcare, consulting, finance, and travel and tourism. The top cities included the Bay Area, Boston, and Los Angeles (just to name a few). So, what does it take to be the top of the top?
Via The Learning Factor
Leadership challenges are more complex today than ever before, and one leadership challenge that I see as an executive coach is the tendency to anticipate what might happen tomorrow while forgetting about what is happening today. In other words, leaders try to outthink and overanalyze the future. They anticipate all the possibilities that could happen, select the outcome most likely to occur and then mold their leadership style to accommodate it, only to find that Murphy has a full-time job and is apparently dedicated solely to them — and Murphy wins.The point is, tomorrow, next week or next year are all uncertain, so if you try to mold your leadership style to the “most likely” option to occur, then you’re not leading, you’re contingency planning. Leaders don’t just think about the future, they think in it. Once they have a clear picture of what they want to see, where they want to be—as an individual or as a team — and why, they begin to mold the world around them to achieve it.
Via The Learning Factor
Being more productive is about working smarter, not harder, and making the most of each day. While this is no easy feat, getting more done in less time is a much more attainable goal if you’re not sabotaging yourself with bad habits. Following are 16 things you should stop doing right now to become more productive.
Via The Learning Factor
We may live in a digital world, but soft skills like communication, problem solving, collaboration, and empathy are becoming more valued than technology, says Paul Roehrig, chief strategy officer for Cognizant Digital Business, a business and technology service provider. “People skills are more and more important in an era where we have powerful and pervasive technology,” he says. “It sounds counterintuitive, but to beat the bot, you need to be more human.” When evaluating their hiring plans for 2017, 62% of employers rate soft skills as very important, according to CareerBuilder. But a recent survey by the Wall Street Journal found that 89% of executives are having a difficult time finding people with these qualities.
Via The Learning Factor
Copywriter. Designer. Illustrator. Filmmaker. With how competitive the world has become, it’s no wonder why we’re obsessed with titles. Focusing on a speciality makes you more appealing to employers and shows clearly where your skills lie. It’s easier to focus on doing one thing great. Yet a growing crop of research and anecdotal evidence suggests that spending time and energy on unrelated tasks, hobbies, and interests can actually supercharge our ability to learn and grow, making us even better at all our work. Here’s the excuse you need to branch out and try something new:
Via The Learning Factor
All the data suggesting that coding is rapidly becoming an essential skill for any job–not just one in tech–only tells one side of the story. The other side indicates that soft skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, attention to detail, and writing proficiency top the list of what hiring managers find missing from job seekers’ personal tool kits. But according to theWorld Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, one the job skills that will make a candidate competitive in the job market of the future is emotional intelligence. The WEF predicts it will be among the top ten in 2020. How emotionally intelligent are you now? There are several ways to test it (including one that’s so accurate it’s creepy). The good news is that even if you’re a bit deficient on some traits, emotional intelligence can be improved. Here are some suggestions on boosting your EQ right away.
Via The Learning Factor
|
Rescooped by
Susan Myburgh
from Leadership Lite
September 8, 2017 7:33 PM
|
First-time managers often ask themselves how to develop a leadership style that suits them: “Who should I model myself after? What kind of leader should I be?” It’s great to think critically about your approach to managing others, particularly when you’re new to it, but these questions won’t exactly help you. That’s because they assume that leadership is something you try on and show off, a “style” that’s curated and intentional. But especially in the beginning, your style will be based far less on mirroring others’ habits and behaviors and far more on instinct and intuition. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Via The Learning Factor, Kevin Watson
|
Receiving feedback is hard. Here are some tips on how you can be better at it.
The truth is, we can’t always control the feedback we receive; we can only control how we choose to accept and use it. And learning how to use it wisely can be a game changer.